MYNORTHWEST POLITICS

WA Congressman Adam Smith: ‘Impossible’ for President Biden to win re-election

Jul 11, 2024, 12:18 PM

Washington Congressman Adam Smith, a Democrat, is ramping up his calls on President Biden to drop out of the race.

Speaking to CNN, Smith said it’s impossible for Biden to win.

“Come on, you have been a great president. You have been a great leader,” Smith said. “You stepped up and saved the country from Donald Trump in 2020. Don’t let this be your legacy that you refused to step down and got him back in the White House. Don’t do that.”

Who will be Trump’s VP pick? Washington State GOP Chairman shares insights

Biden has repeatedly said he will not step down. The president is holding a news conference Thursday at 3:30 p.m. that will be carried live on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM.

“The polls show that 80% of the American people think he shouldn’t run. You can’t overcome that,” Smith said. “You can’t. It’s an utter impossibility. You owe us to consider this.”

Smith said Biden is the “presumptive nominee” and not yet the official nominee, going on to say that if Biden is the Democratic candidate, they are headed for disaster.

“I’m hearing from Democrats back home. I can’t even count the emails, texts and phone calls that are telling me, ‘Thank God, somebody had to say something,'” Smith said, referring to his Washington constituents.

Smith was one of the first House Democrats to call on Biden to drop out.

“We have to do something about this. 80-90% of the Democrats in Congress want a different candidate, but do they want to say that publicly? That’s a different thing,” Smith explained.

Angela Poe Russell commentary: The lesson we all can learn from President Biden

Smith was raised in SeaTac and represents the 9th Congressional District. He attended Bow Lake Elementary, Chinook Middle School and Tyee High School, graduating from Tyee in 1983.

“We have a clear choice,” Smith said. “We can head towards near-certain defeat, or we can choose a different path and give ourselves a chance to be successful in November.”

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here. 

Please follow our Community Guidelines

MyNorthwest Politics

AG Brown on noncitizen voting...

Gee Scott and Ursula Reutin Show

‘That’s absurd’: AG Nick Brown slams DOJ’s noncitizen voter claims, says Washington’s tax system is ‘exactly wrong’

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown is pushing back on the DOJ's claim that hundreds of noncitizens are on the state's voter rolls.

17 hours ago

WA Supreme Court candidate Sean O’Donnell...

John Curley Show

‘Judges are a check on power’: WA Supreme Court candidate Sean O’Donnell warns against politicizing judicial races

King County Superior Court Judge Sean O’Donnell said a late flood of outside spending against him threatens public trust in Washington’s courts.

19 hours ago

King County Council candidate Nick Duda...

John Curley Show

‘Deeply undemocratic’: King County Council candidate says opponent canceled their only scheduled debate

King County Council candidate Nick Duda said voters lost their chance to see him debate incumbent Teresa Mosqueda after she canceled the event.

2 days ago

Seattle councilmember seeks to restore $7 million in Fire Department overtime cut by mayor...

Luke Duecy

Seattle councilmember seeks to restore $7M in fire department overtime cut by mayor

Seattle City Councilmember Rivera proposes restoring $7 million in annual overtime funding for the Seattle Fire Department that Mayor Wilson cut.

3 days ago

Washington PAC Donors...

Charlie Harger

Harger: Washington PACs could take $7,500 per donor last week. Now the sky’s the limit with just days to go until the election

On Friday, 11 days before the election, the state Public Disclosure Commission announced it will stop enforcing Washington's limit on big last-minute checks to political campaigns.

4 days ago

bite of seattle briefing...

James Lynch

Voicemail shows Seattle mayor’s aide asked police to delay Bite of Seattle shooting briefing

A voicemail is adding to the dispute over who asked Seattle police to delay a public briefing after a gang-related mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle.

5 days ago

WA Congressman Adam Smith: ‘Impossible’ for President Biden to win re-election